Lover's Road (5 page)

Cortland stuffed a slice into his mouth then swallowed it. “I think you should let it go, Ryan. If she feels uncomfortable, she’ll tell you and you’ll work it out. But fighting with her isn’t going to help.”

I didn’t feel like talking about this anymore. I was quickly replacing Sean as the asshole of the group. “How’s it going with Monnique?”

“Good,” he answered.

“Everything back to normal?” Scarlet asked.

“We’re taking it slow,” he said. “But she’s jealous of Hazel.”

“Why?” I asked. “You’re just friends, right?”

“Well…” He crinkled a napkin in his hand. “There’s something I never told you guys.”

“Ooh…” I rubbed my hands together. “This sounds interesting.”

“Hazel wanted to have a purely physical relationship. I said no.”

“What?” I snapped. “Why the hell would you say no?”

“Because he loves
Monnique,” Scarlet said quickly.

“So what?
” I said. “You didn’t owe her anything at the time. If she didn’t want you to fuck other women, she shouldn’t have left you.”

“Don’t be mean,” Scarlet said.

“Why are you the moderator today?”

“I am not,” she said, offended.

“You’re always the moderator,” Sean said with a laugh.

Scarlet finally backed off.

I turned to Cortland. “Did you tell Monnique that?”

“Yeah,” Cortland answered. “She was a little insecure about it.”

“Good.”

Cortland shook his head slightly. “She doesn’t want me to hang out with her anymore.”

“You said no, right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Cortland answered. “But I know the whole thing makes her uncomfortable.”

“That’s too damn bad.”

Cortland eyed me. “I know you hated her for a while, but I love her and want to make it work. I’d appreciate it if you were more respectful toward her.”

I clapped his shoulder. “No problem, man. I want you to be happy.”

“I appreciate that.”

Scarlet’s eyes softened. “You guys are so cute.”

“Cute?” I asked incredulously. I scooted far away from Cortland. “I like boobies.”

“Me too,” Cortland said quickly.

“I just said you were cute,” Scarlet said. “I didn’t say you were gay.”

“Same thing,” I answered. I turned back to Cortland. “I’m just glad you stood your ground and didn’t let Monnique boss you around.”

“She didn’t boss me around,” Cortland said. “I just know she’s a little jealous over it. But when she sees that Hazel and I are just friends, she’ll get over it.”

“Does Hazel know about Monnique?” Scarlet asked.

“No,” Cortland said. “I haven’t told her.”

“I wonder how that will go,” she said.

Cortland shrugged. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

We settled into a conversation about one of Hazel’s performances and her graceful dance moves, but my thoughts lingered to Janice. I wondered what she was doing and how her first day of work was. I wondered if that creep was staring at her ass every time she walked passed his desk…

I pulled out my phone and texted her.
How’s your first day going?

Like you give a shit.

My baby knew me well
. I’m being genuine.

It’s great. I love it. Everyone is so nice and they took me out to lunch.

I wanted to know if her ‘friend’ was among those people. I shouldn’t ask but I did anyway.
Having a good time with your ridiculously nice friend?

Go fuck yourself.

Damn, I lost her.
How’s the work load?

She came back.
Not much different than Scarlet’s company, but now I oversee other people. So, there’s a little more responsibility. But I love it anyway.

She used the wor
d love a lot. I could tell she really liked it.
I’m glad you’re liking it.

Bullshit.

I smirked even though I knew I shouldn’t.
I’m sorry I’m being an ass. I just love you so damn much. My concern comes from a good place. You know that.

I do.

I miss you.

I miss you too.

So, we’re okay?

Nope. You’re still a pig.

I smiled again.

I need to get back to work. Ttyl.

Love you.

Forever and always.

I returned the phone to my pocket. She and I were both hot headed and stubborn. We argued like we hated each other. There were days when I was certain we did. But the love deep within conquered everything else. While I knew Sean and Scarlet loved each other, I felt like they were so combustible that they could end at any moment. I never had that fear with Janice. We could fight and say horrific things to each other, but we would never cross that line. We would never leave each other. We would always love each other. No matter what.

5

Sean

I made an appointment for the fertility clinic next week. Honestly, I was scared to death about it. I really wanted to have kids the natural way, where each child would be half of Scarlet and half of me, but I would accept it if it couldn’t happen. I just didn’t want Scarlet to go through that. I’d known her long enough to understand she would place the blame on herself. She’d feel horrible and never let it go. For that reason, I hoped everything was okay. And if it wasn’t, I hoped it was a problem with me, not her.

Losing a child once was hard enough. I didn’t think I could go through that again. When my wife cried in my arms, in insufferable pain, I felt weak and pathetic. There was nothing I could do to make it better. I couldn’t throw money at it and make it go away. I failed her as a husband.

I should have ensured she was completely stress free. I made her upset on a daily basis, I pushed her too far, and she suffered through the ordeal I called my mother. I’d hate myself forever. I didn’t deserve to have Scarlet in my life. Sometimes I wondered if she was mentally retarded for choosing to settle down with me, a loser.

After we had dinner, we snuggled on the couch and watched TV. Scarlet
naturally lost all the weight she gained, and now she was back to where she was. Her stomach was flat and her hips were smaller. She was sexy in every way, but I did miss the baby bump. I would always miss it.

The doorbell rang.

Scarlet sighed. “We really are a hotel.”

“Well, it’s not Mike. He would just walk in,” I said sarcastically.

“So would the others.”

“God, it’s probably my mom.”

We both cringed.

We were on better terms with her, but we still didn’t adore her. Now the heat had been shifted to Mike and Cass
andra. While we enjoyed the respite, we wished there wasn’t a problem to begin with. A part of me hated my mom for stealing my dad away. I know I’d see him more often if my mom weren’t such a bitch.

I left the couch then opened the door. When I saw my dad on the other side, bags at his feet and over his shoulders, I knew something wasn’t right—at all. “Dad?”

“Hey, kid.” His voice indicated everything was normal, but his face didn’t. I saw the sagged lines of despair and the depression in his eyes.

I stared at his bags. “What’s going on…?”

He shrugged. “Can I stay with you for a while?”

My blood was pounding
in my ears. My heart thud so harshly, I felt it against my ribs. I was speechless, panicked. “You’re always welcome here, Dad.”

“I thought so. If not, I knew Scarlet wouldn’t mind.” He grabbed his bags and carried them inside. I hauled the remaining ones into the entryway. When Scarlet realized my dad was here, she approached the entryway, the same look of alarm on her face.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

My dad stood tall, like he always did, but his hands were in his pockets. “Your mother and I have decided to get a divorce.”

That knocked the wind out of me. During my youth, my friends from school went through their parents’ divorce but I never understood what the big deal was. But now it hit me. I didn’t even like my mom, but the idea of my parents not being together was something I couldn’t process.

“Oh.” Scarlet tucked a st
rand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded. “It’s been difficult. But I didn’t see any other way.”

My head was still spinning. “What happened?”

He sighed then rubbed his chin. “Your mother’s behavior has gone on long enough. While I love her very much, she isn’t the woman I married. When I tried to talk some sense into her, it backfired. While I would prefer to work out our relationship, sadly, your mother can’t be reasoned with.”

“Wow.” I couldn’t think of anything better to say.

He clapped my shoulder. “It’ll be alright, kid. Your mother and I both love you just as much. That will never change.”

That wasn’t what bothered me. “It’s just…weird.”

My dad gave me a soft look. “I know. But we’ll get through this.”

Mike came down the stairs. “Did I hear you right? You’re divorcing Mom?”

My dad nodded.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. You can do way better than her Dad. That bitch is a terror.”

My dad’s eyes widened. “Shut your mouth or I’ll rip it off.”

Mike backed off. “Sorry. I just think this is a good decision. I love you, Dad. And I can’t imagine how you could possibly be happy with that bit—woman.”

He returned his hands to his pockets then looked at the house, not paying any attention to us. “The papers will be signed soon. I hope you don’t mind letting me stay for a short while.”

Scarlet hugged him. “You can stay here as long as you want, Dad. This place is too big for the two of us.”

“Three of us,” I added, glaring at my brother.

Mike glared back.

“Everything alright?” my dad asked.

Mike shrugged. “Cassandra and I got into a fight.”

“It must be pretty bad if you’re staying with your brother.” The disappointment was evident in his eyes.

“I slept with her friend. She’s having a hard time handling it…”

My dad gave him a look of hat
red. “How could you do that to the poor girl? I thought you loved her? That’s no way to treat someone.”

“No,” Mike said quickly. “It happened before I even knew Cassandra. But the shit hit the fan a few days ago.”

“Oh.” Andrew calmed down slightly. “I see.”

“And I don’t know how to make it better…”

My dad rubbed his shoulder. “From the moment I saw you two together, I knew she loved you, son. She’ll get passed it. Just give her time.”

“I hope so.” Mike put his hands in his pockets and sighed.

“I’ll get your room ready,” I said.

Mike and I carried everything to the spare bedroom. Scarlet made sure the sheets and towels were clean and new. A flat screen was on the wall, and the windows opened to the ocean. My dad should be comfortable there.

He sat on the bed and rested his hands in his lap. Even though he carried himself with pride and strength, I knew his shoulders were sagging with grief. He always shielded me from pain and he seemed to be happy all the time. This was the first time he couldn’t hide it. And seeing my dad in pain was unbearable.

I sat beside him. “Can I get you anything?”

He rubbed his palms together. “No.”

Whenever I was at my lowest point, my dad always knew the right thing to say to make me feel better. His words of wisdom went straight to my heart and made me rethink everything I thought I believed in. I wished I could do the same for him now.  “It’ll be okay.” It was weak, but it was all I could think of. My dad always took care of me. I never experienced the reversal of roles before.

He nodded. “I know, son.”

“Do you want to talk about it…?”

“There’s nothing to say, really.” He released a deep sigh. “You’ve seen your mother in action for the past year. She’s lost sight of what’s important. All she cares about is money and social circles.” He rubbed his chin then stared at the floor. “Your grandfather worked in a factory his entire life. He made minimum wage for twenty years and still managed to give me everything I needed. These items weren’t tangible to money. He gave me love, joy, hope, respect, and happiness. And that’s all I needed.

“When I built my own company, I wanted to honor my father by being
a generous and giving businessman. I wanted my employees to be happy, to make enough to support their families, to feel safe at work. I wanted to make the world a better place, giving people jobs and a purpose. But your mother doesn’t see it that way. In her eyes, everyone is beneath her. We are the king and queen of this Earth, and anyone who isn’t in the same tax bracket is worthless. My dad may have been poor, but he certainly wasn’t worthless. How can I love someone who goes against everything I believe in? Everything I stand for?” He shook his head slightly. “I can’t keep waiting and hoping. It’s done.”

The silence settled in the room. I wanted to say something inspirational, something to cure the ache in his heart. But there was nothing. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

“It’s okay, son. You’ll never understand how grateful I am that my two amazing sons have continued my legacy. If your mother were in charge…I hate to even think about it.”

My heart swelled with pride. “We know the company is everything to you.”

“Not everything,” he said simply. “But almost.” He clapped my shoulder then returned his hand to his lap. “Now you know why I love your wife so much. She’s nothing like the pretentious people your mother is so fond of. No wonder they never got along.” He had a slight smirk to his lips.

“If the money ever goes to my head, Scarlet will beat the shit out of me. You never have to worry about that.”

“She’s got a good arm. I can tell.” He winked at me.

“You bet she does.” I winked back.

My dad laughed then shoved me gently. “Let’s keep this PG.”

“It’s never PG.”

My father took another deep breath then stared at the floor. “I need a moment to get settled. I’ll be down in a few.”

I knew that was my cue to leave. “Sure thing.” I left the room then walked downstairs.

Scarlet and Mike were talking. Judging the looks on their faces, they were still in shock.

“Did he say anything else?” Mike asked immediately.

I stood beside Scarlet. “He just said he and Mom were done.”

Scarlet crossed her arms over her chest, looking tense.

Mike smiled. “Dude, Dad deserves better. I’m glad he’s moving on. Maybe Mom will realize how much of a bitch she is and pull her head out of her ass.”

“Or maybe she’ll be even crazier,” Scarlet said. “Could there be something wrong with her? Diane wasn’t this insane when you and Penelope were together.”

I glared at her. “Never say her name again.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s true. As soon as you and I became official, she spiraled out
of control. Do you think she needs medical attention? Maybe she’s becoming bipolar or something, a sickness that could be improved with medication.”

Mike shook his head. “No. She’s just a fucking bitch. And there’s no cure for that.”

“I agree,” I said. “My mom has been pretentious and judgmental my whole life. She has a skewed view of the world and how it really works. Never working a day in her life, and never being poor have clouded her mind and her judgment. She doesn’t appreciate my dad for the amazing man he is. She despises him for it.”

Scarlet turned to Mike. “Does Cassandra know?”

“No,” he said quietly. “She needs her space. It can wait.”

I really hoped Mike didn’t fuck things up with Cassandra. She was a sweet girl and I liked her. Scarlet adored her. If my brother blew this, I’d beat the shit out of him. I wished someone had done that for me when I hurt Scarlet a year ago.

Scarlet prepared dinner then set the table. My dad came down then smiled.

“Something smells good.” He sat down and folded the napkin across his lap.

“Pot roast,” Scarlet explained. “I can do more than just edit.”

“I’ve never doubted that.” He took a bite then moaned. “This is amazing, dear.”

“Thank you.” Scarlet beamed with pride.

Mike scarfed down his food like a gorilla and I ate quietly. Scarlet ate more than anyone, like usual. We didn’t talk about my mom or the divorce. My dad seemed to be in a better mood but it could all be an act. I wasn’t sure.

Even though the meeting was under bad circumstances, it was still nice to spend time with my family without any drama. My mom wasn’t yelling at me to leave Scarlet, and she wasn’t berating Mike for his horrible table manners. My dad wasn’t ridiculed for being pleasant company. It was peaceful. It was nice.